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safefoodmitra.com · 2022-12-07 09:37:11

“Palm oil is a vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree,” explains Megan Wroe, wellness manager and registered dietitian at St. Jude Medical Center in Southern California.

It’s extracted from the mesocarp, the reddish pulp of the fruit of oil palms. These trees originally hail from Western Africa, says Nichole Dandrea-Russert, the nutritionist behind purelyplanted.com and the author of “The Fiber Effect.” However, she adds, “they can grow in any tropical climate where heat and rainfall are abundant.”

Because it’s relatively affordable to produce, highly versatile, pale in color and odorless, palm oil has become a staple of the American industrial food system, says Dana Ellis Hunnes, a senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and author of “Recipe For Survival.” It can be found in everything from food items and supplements to beauty products, detergents and biofuels.

Palm oil makes foods creamier and adds to their shelf life, plus it doesn't have the trans fats that come with other types of hydrogenated oils (in hydrogenated oils, hydrogen atoms are added to fat molecules via a chemical process to achieve the same consistency). It all adds up to a wonder product of sorts that solves a lot of problems for food packagers and other producers of consumer goods.

Dandrea-Russert notes that while very small amounts may be present in some items, “it's found in over 50% of consumer-packaged products. Big companies love the versatility of palm oil because it’s inexpensive, shelf-stable and can be used in everything from food to cosmetics to household cleaners, making it a very profitable ingredient.”

What Items Contain Palm Oil?

Products that typically contain palm oil include:

Crackers and snack foods.
Cereal.
Ice cream.
Cookies.
Chocolate products.
Instant noodles.
Peanut butter.
Donuts and baked goods.
Potato chips.
Other convenience foods.
It’s also found in a range of other consumer products, including:
Shampoos and body wash.
Soaps and deodorants.
Cosmetics and other personal products.
While this oil is found in many of the products you use each day, it’s got a big downside, Hunnes says. “It’s terrible for the environment and endangered species where it is produced.”